Ford EV Software and Customer Service Woes

[Keanen]

I purchased a new 2023 F-150 Lariat at the end of February and love my truck. However, I’m also frustrated with the inconsistencies in software delivery and my lack of customer service knowledge.

I’ve been following the this forum, F150Lightning subreddit, Facebook groups, and Mach-E forums, and I see many owners running various software versions for their vehicles. Some have newer features, and many don’t. When people ask questions or share pictures, there are questions about why something looks different than what they are used to.

The software updates could be dragging because of Lightning's battery module issue, but I’m not sure, as I see evidence of Mach-E owners having similar problems.

The problem
I noticed my truck did not have the “Charge Assist” application. I was confused about why this was missing, so I researched and found a user suggesting it was a server-side setting unrelated to OTA updates. I then decided to call Ford and started asking questions; this is where everything went wrong.

Customer service experience
My first call resulted in a conversation with a rep who wanted to be helpful and put me on hold to find answers, only to have me disconnected. I called back and got someone else. I explained I was missing the Charge Assist function, and they reached out to others and told me it would come in a software update. I argued this. They put me on hold again and returned to tell me the Charge Assist application was for Fleet customers only. We went back and forth, trying to show each other evidence of what we understood. I asked for an escalation to someone who would know more, and they wanted to convince me they had been on the EV team since Ford’s release of EVs. I eventually gave up and called back later in the day.

Just my luck. When I called back, I got the same rep I went back and forth with earlier in the day. I figured I would try again, and she called someone only to come back to say, “Oh, you mean Public Charging!” I then pointed out that Ford announced Charge Assist on YouTube and various EV forums in October. She put me on hold again and came back to tell me I needed to wait for a software update, which could take days, weeks, or months. I have pretty much given up at this point after losing 2 hours of my life feeling like they just wanted to get me an 'answer' and get me off the phone.

Why is this an issue for me?
I received the Tesla update today and cannot find Tesla chargers requiring the NACS adapter or pre-conditioning my battery based on their location without this app. Ford’s site tells me to use Charge Assist or my Ford Pass app on my phone, which only points me to Apple Maps or Google Maps and does not precondition my battery.

You might reply, “Big deal,” and that’s fine. My truck is still functional, but it’s a sign of more significant issues for Ford because their ‘experts’ cannot correctly convey facts. I want more from Ford for its customers.

Ford’s software rollout plan is so inconsistent that it confuses customers and hurts its brand. On top of this, any engagement with EV customer service leads to a very confusing call because they do not have terminology matching customer experience, and you can tell they have not driven Ford EVs. They need to get to a place of a steady software rollout, have their “experts” experience their EVs much like Jim did with his Lightning trip, and fix up their knowledge base so they can talk with customers.

My questions for @Ford Motor Company if you are listening:

1. What is your software update strategy? Should all customers expect current updates within days, weeks, or months?
2. What are you doing to uplift the knowledge of your customer service staff and close the loop on so many prompts to hold while they reach out to another department?
3. Is there a hotline for those who cannot find answers through normal channels?

Thanks for listening.

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[Grease Lightning]

I purchased a new 2023 F-150 Lariat at the end of February and love my truck. However, I’m also frustrated with the inconsistencies in software delivery and my lack of customer service knowledge.

I’ve been following the this forum, F150Lightning subreddit, Facebook groups, and Mach-E forums, and I see many owners running various software versions for their vehicles. Some have newer features, and many don’t. When people ask questions or share pictures, there are questions about why something looks different than what they are used to.

The software updates could be dragging because of Lightning's battery module issue, but I’m not sure, as I see evidence of Mach-E owners having similar problems.

The problem
I noticed my truck did not have the “Charge Assist” application. I was confused about why this was missing, so I researched and found a user suggesting it was a server-side setting unrelated to OTA updates. I then decided to call Ford and started asking questions; this is where everything went wrong.

Customer service experience
My first call resulted in a conversation with a rep who wanted to be helpful and put me on hold to find answers, only to have me disconnected. I called back and got someone else. I explained I was missing the Charge Assist function, and they reached out to others and told me it would come in a software update. I argued this. They put me on hold again and returned to tell me the Charge Assist application was for Fleet customers only. We went back and forth, trying to show each other evidence of what we understood. I asked for an escalation to someone who would know more, and they wanted to convince me they had been on the EV team since Ford’s release of EVs. I eventually gave up and called back later in the day.

Just my luck. When I called back, I got the same rep I went back and forth with earlier in the day. I figured I would try again, and she called someone only to come back to say, “Oh, you mean Public Charging!” I then pointed out that Ford announced Charge Assist on YouTube and various EV forums in October. She put me on hold again and came back to tell me I needed to wait for a software update, which could take days, weeks, or months. I have pretty much given up at this point after losing 2 hours of my life feeling like they just wanted to get me an 'answer' and get me off the phone.

Why is this an issue for me?
I received the Tesla update today and cannot find Tesla chargers requiring the NACS adapter or pre-conditioning my battery based on their location without this app. Ford’s site tells me to use Charge Assist or my Ford Pass app on my phone, which only points me to Apple Maps or Google Maps and does not precondition my battery.

You might reply, “Big deal,” and that’s fine. My truck is still functional, but it’s a sign of more significant issues for Ford because their ‘experts’ cannot correctly convey facts. I want more from Ford for its customers.

Ford’s software rollout plan is so inconsistent that it confuses customers and hurts its brand. On top of this, any engagement with EV customer service leads to a very confusing call because they do not have terminology matching customer experience, and you can tell they have not driven Ford EVs. They need to get to a place of a steady software rollout, have their “experts” experience their EVs much like Jim did with his Lightning trip, and fix up their knowledge base so they can talk with customers.

My questions for @Ford Motor Company if you are listening:

1. What is your software update strategy? Should all customers expect current updates within days, weeks, or months?
2. What are you doing to uplift the knowledge of your customer service staff and close the loop on so many prompts to hold while they reach out to another department?
3. Is there a hotline for those who cannot find answers through normal channels?

Thanks for listening.

It will take around 3-6 months for your truck to get the VIN in the software queue where you regularly see updates.

I bought my Lightning in August and just started getting updates in February and am now seeming two or so a week.

My suggestion is to relax and enjoy the truck. Ford is a car manufacturer not Apple, so software updates happen less frequently. It is also a good thing as they tend to make sure they don’t brick your truck. Kinda glad about that one.

 

[RickLightning]

Your questions are answered in multiple threads here.

1) Updates come to vehicles when Ford queues them up for that vehicle. There is no published strategy.

3) No.

Your expectations aren't in line with the truck you bought...

 

[Zprime29]

I received the Tesla update today and cannot find Tesla chargers requiring the NACS adapter or pre-conditioning my battery based on their location without this app.

To my knowledge, the charge assist app does NOT precondition the battery. You have to put the charger as your destination in the nav to get the truck to precondition.

 

[RickLightning]

To my knowledge, the charge assist app does NOT precondition the battery. You have to put the charger as your destination in the nav to get the truck to precondition.

Correct. And if you navigate to a charger from the app (click on the button to put it in the nav), it still doesn't. How that was missed I have no idea.

And it tells you a charger isn't available when it is.
And it says it's 150 when it's 350.
And it says the price, but it's not right.

 

[Zprime29]

Correct. And if you navigate to a charger from the app (click on the button to put it in the nav), it still doesn't. How that was missed I have no idea.

And it tells you a charger isn't available when it is.
And it says it's 150 when it's 350.
And it says the price, but it's not right.

Ha...I haven't even checked to see if I have the ChargeAssist app but it seems I'm not missing out on much.

 

[invertedspear]

Tesla is a tech company that figured out how to make cars. If tech is important to you, they should be your go to.

Ford is a truck company (they don't even make cars besides the mustang anymore) that is figuring out tech. They are layered in legacy workflows and are struggling hard with the tech side of these new fangled EVs. It's obvious in almost every interaction you will have. With few exceptions their customer service teams aren't prepared for technical issues, their service departments actively bash on EVs when you take it in, and their sales department actively push ICE over EV.

The plugshare app on your phone is better than charge assist. It's not likely the battery module that's keeping you from most updates, it's their haphazard way of putting new sales in line for updates. Their customer service is trained to get you off the phone, not to solve issues. We do our best on this forum to help each other out, but you are going to need a lot of patience when it comes to the tech in this truck.

 

[Daragh]

It will take around 3-6 months for your truck to get the VIN in the software queue where you regularly see updates.

I bought my Lightning in August and just started getting updates in February and am now seeming two or so a week.

My suggestion is to relax and enjoy the truck. Ford is a car manufacturer not Apple, so software updates happen less frequently. It is also a good thing as they tend to make sure they don’t brick your truck. Kinda glad about that one.

Respectfully, Ford choose to enter the field of software driven products so whilst they may not be as proficient as Apple at software released they are certainly in a hardware and software interdependent product space, they are not simply an old school car manufacturer with no software dependency.

Granted there will be bugs, this is what public beta testing is for, don't release it if its not ready, and if the roll out is to be phased, do it in a reasonable (several weeks) predetermined timeframe that customers are aware of. When key functional features are dependent on software updates, their software is equally as important as their hardware (the physical truck).

Imagine if you and your neighbor bought a similar model smart phone, your neighbor gets updates for the exact same hardware as you weeks, or months ahead of you that enables new features and or enhancements. I'm pretty sure we can all agree thats crazy and wouldn't be accepted, personally I see no disparity with Ford, they need to address and significantly improve their OTA rollout policies and be open and honest with the end customer.

Not having a go at you I just don't think Ford deserve any leeway on this, its farcical how they hand OTA updates.

 

[Daragh]

Tesla is a tech company that figured out how to make cars. If tech is important to you, they should be your go to.

Ford is a truck company (they don't even make cars besides the mustang anymore) that is figuring out tech. They are layered in legacy workflows and are struggling hard with the tech side of these new fangled EVs. It's obvious in almost every interaction you will have. With few exceptions their customer service teams aren't prepared for technical issues, their service departments actively bash on EVs when you take it in, and their sales department actively push ICE over EV.

The plugshare app on your phone is better than charge assist. It's not likely the battery module that's keeping you from most updates, it's their haphazard way of putting new sales in line for updates. Their customer service is trained to get you off the phone, not to solve issues. We do our best on this forum to help each other out, but you are going to need a lot of patience when it comes to the tech in this truck.

Ford are by virtue of their move to software driven products a technology company also.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Respectfully, Ford choose to enter the field of software driven products so whilst they may not be as proficient as Apple at software released they are certainly in a hardware and software interdependent product space, they are not simply an old school car manufacturer with no software dependency.

Granted there will be bugs, this is what public beta testing is for, don't release it if its not ready, and if the roll out is to be phased, do it in a reasonable (several weeks) predetermined timeframe that customers are aware of. When key functional features are dependent on software updates, their software is equally as important as their hardware (the physical truck).

Imagine if you and your neighbor bought a similar model smart phone, your neighbor gets updates for the exact same hardware as you weeks, or months ahead of you that enables new features and or enhancements. I'm pretty sure we can all agree thats crazy and wouldn't be accepted, personally I see no disparity with Ford, they need to address and significantly improve their OTA rollout policies and be open and honest with the end customer.

Not having a go at you I just don't think Ford deserve any leeway on this, its farcical how they hand OTA updates.

You do realize that even Apple uses a delayed software deployment system? They do not have the server bandwidth to deploy a major software release to every iPhone at a single instant.

That believe and desire is just naive and unnecessary personal expectations that no manufacturer will ever satisfy.

It is up to the manufacturer to set the expectations, and Ford has made it very clear how their software is deployed, in a safe and metered approach.

So no I don’t give them any slack, but as my day job is managing a program that delivers customer interactions, I understand the difference between meeting company set expectations and customers that want instant gratification and things not promised to them.

 

[Daragh]

Apple have a several day phased release! Not months! I don’t expect Ford to be anywhere near this even though they only have a fraction of end user volume units. But their current from what I can see random release is frustrating.

Can you point me to Fords explanation of their software policy release? I am not aware of it and maybe it will reset my expectations.

I purchased my truck on Jan 9th, it’s now March 26th. I don’t believe I’m seeking instant gratification

As a Semiconductor Design Engineer who interacts with software and firmware design engineers regularly I fully understand product cycles and end customer needs.

There is no justification for similar hardware builds not receiving firmware and software updates in a timely manner. To me, to not have received updates several months after their initial release is farcical.

 

[invertedspear]

Ford are by virtue of their move to software driven products a technology company also.

Someone needs to tell them that.
In seriousness, they need to get in touch with modern software development and release processes. They dip their toes in, but they need to invest in doing a lot better.

 

[TheWoo]

Ford has made it very clear how their software is deployed, in a safe and metered approach.

I disagree strongly with this. Ford hasn't made it clear at all. We've figured out what they do and don't do, but Ford has done nothing to make their software update strategy clear.

 

[mags]

It will take around 3-6 months for your truck to get the VIN in the software queue where you regularly see updates.

I bought my Lightning in August and just started getting updates in February and am now seeming two or so a week.

My suggestion is to relax and enjoy the truck. Ford is a car manufacturer not Apple, so software updates happen less frequently. It is also a good thing as they tend to make sure they don’t brick your truck. Kinda glad about that one.

I bought a 2023 Lightning Pro at then end of January. It has already updated from 6.1(maybe?) to 6.2 to 6.4, and I just got the Tesla Plug and Charge update. So, like everyone says, timing is a mystery.
I also do not have the Public Charging née Charge Assist app.

 

[Newton]

Ford does need to do a much better job of managing software releases, basically each truck has hand built software. It feels more like being inside of a software company than outside one. It must be chaos for the customer support teams. They really need to call a freeze for all non Pro0 bugs, get everybody to one stable release and then move on in an orderly manner from there with clearly defined goals for each release.

I have been part of this process for well known companies (some would say I have been part of the chaos) and I know what good and bad look like.

I tell people that the Ford is a great truck, but not a great EV. I'll take the former for now.

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